Global Head of Public Affairs, Opella
Patricia is the Global Head of Public Affairs for Opella, a global consumer healthcare company. In this role, she leads a central corporate team that collectively drives the global strategy-setting for public affairs, government relations, policy advocacy, trade association management, and key stakeholder engagements. Her advocacy focus is on driving wider government acceptance for self-care policy as a critical lever to support universal healthcare and healthcare systems sustainability.
Patricia brings 25 years of progressive leadership experience with a proven track record of driving thought leadership and delivering successful outcomes as a Corporate Affairs and Market Access strategist, with the last 15 years spent in the pharmaceutical sector covering vaccines, biopharma, and consumer healthcare. With extensive experience in all regions, including emerging markets, Patricia has collaborated extensively with international non-government and government organizations in the healthcare, trade policy, and international aid space.
Prior to joining Sanofi/Opella, she was with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) leading global government affairs and access policy for the vaccines business, where she championed the concept of life course immunization as Chair of IFPMA’s Vaccines Committee. Prior to this, she led Government Affairs, Public Policy & Patient Advocacy for Asia Pacific for its consumer healthcare business.
Patricia was with Pfizer from 2009-2015, where she held various local and regional positions of increasing responsibility within the company as head of Corporate Affairs and Market Access, including Philippines’ Marketing Director for Vaccines, Vice Chair of Pfizer Philippines Foundation, and Regional Public Affairs Director-Asia Pacific for the Consumer Healthcare business.
She began her career in international development and the public sector, first at a USAID-funded project on investment reform and competitiveness, later serving as Chief of Staff to the late Foreign Affairs Secretary, Hon. Roberto R. Romulo, at the Office of the President of the Philippines under the Arroyo Administration.
Recognized as one of Devex Manila’s 40 Development Leaders Under 40 in 2013, Patricia is also a published author on e-Government (UNDP-APDIP) and the “Triple Value of Self-care” highlighting self-care as central to social, economic, and sustainability goals. She holds an M.A. in International Political Economy from the University of Manchester (U.K.) as a Chevening Scholar.
